Ore-separator



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. B. FREEMAN,

ORE SEPARATOR.

No. 412,741. Patented Oct. 15, 1889..

VVNHESES (No M'qdel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. B. FREEMAN.

ORE SBPARATOR.

Patented 001:. 15, 1889..

Witnessss Q I I j 6L. v 5517101" v I i N PETEfis. Phuto-iimu ra hun wm nton. ac.

UNITED ST TES PATENT FFICE.

JAMES B. FREEMAN, on 'Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ORE-SEPARATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 412,741, dated. October15, 1889.

Application filed November 28, 1887. Serial No. 256,355. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES B. FREEMAN, a

I citizen of the United States, residing in the rators in which theseparation of the gold ary apron F.

from the dbris is accomplished by the use ofv air.

The object of my invention is to improve the class of gold-separatorswhich. treat dry granular ores, and to render them more use-- ful andefficient, to obtain a larger percentage of precious metals from theores subjected to their treatment, and it relates to certainimprovements in mechanism for feeding the material from a hopper to theapron through which air is forced to effectthe separation, also to theconstruction of the apron, and to the combination ofsaid mechanism, ashereinafter more particularly set forth.

My invention also comprises the peculiar construction of the apron andthe combination of the several parts, as'herein set forth.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved gold-separator, showingthe rear and side of the machine. Fig. 2 is a front perspective viewshowing the other side of the machine. Fig. 3 is a. verticallongitudinal midsection of Fig. 2, somewhat enlarged. Fig.4 is a view ofthe frame of the apron. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the apron online 1y, Fig. 4'. Fig. 6 is adetail view illustrating the construction of theapron. Fig. 7 is a cross-section of the machine on line a: 00, Fig. 3,showing the feed-valve as it is at the close of the downward stroke ofthe pitman.

A is the box or frameof my machine.

B B are two bellows, the air-chambers O O of which are separated by astationary partition D.

E is an air-chest located under the station- The floor of the ailchestforms a partition between the air-chest and the bellows B B. Avalve-opening G through the floor of the air ohest communicates with oneof the bellows, and a corresponding open= ing G communicates with theother bellows.

These, openings for the ingress of air from the bellows to theair-compressing chest are provided with valves H H. i

The top leaf I of the upper bellows and the bottom leaf 1' of thelower'bellows are connected by a rod J of such length that when theupper leaf I is raised to fill the upper bellows with air the leaf 1will be drawn up to the fixed partition D, which is the bottom of oneand the top of the other bellows, and force the air out of the lowerbellows, the upper bellows being at the same time opened to receive itssupply of air, which will in like manner be forced into the chest uponthe re verse motion of rod J actuated by pitman K, connected to the topleaf of bellows B. Gearing is employed to effect these operations. Abrief interval between the alternating blasts of a the bellows, causedby the pitman passing the dead-center at each revolution of the crank,and the connection of the two bellows by the rod J will be momentary,but will produce a perceptible vertical vibration and agitation of. themass of material to be separated, while the same is being held insuspension above the apron by the continuous force of the volume of airpassing through the apron. The ends of the ribs d are set firmly in theframe f, and the wire-cloth with the riffles thereon and its lining aretacked to the frame, the ribs (1 serving to support the apron andprevent it from sagging.

0 denotes the stationary feed hopper, mounted above the upper end of aninclined screen P, the lower end of which screen is pivoted to the frameof the machine by bolts Q Q, and is vibrated by the action of the upperend of pitman-rod K, which strikes bumperY at each revolution of itscrankshaft and shakes the screen P, causing the I is constantly forcedthrough the apron.

.the top of bellows B.

are denoted by letters U and V, the former being attached to valve T atone end and to lever V at the other; and the latter, being hinged to theformer, is capable of adjustment in notches of rack-barlV, secured uponThe spiral spring t, connecting the middle of lever U with the top ofbellows B, serves to hold the valve T, to which lever U is fastened, upto the valveopening when not opened by the action of the top of bellowsB, which actuates lever V.

The bumper Y is attached to the end of the screen P by a bolt 1",secured to the screen and passed through a slot .9, and provided with anut it. By this arrangement the bumper may be so adjusted as to give agreater or less motion to the end of the screen.

The apron is inclined from the hopper downward to the tail of themachine, and is provided with riffles a a 0.", extending across it forthe particles of gold to lodge against.

The letter 1) indicates an opening at the lower end of the apron for thedischarge of the dbris.

The apron is formed of fine wire-cloth and lined underneath with muslinof ordinary texture, and as the top of the air-chestit will in a measureobstruct the passage of air, whereby the air is always kept undercompression in the chest while the bellows are in operation, although astrong volume thereof The riffies across the apron are each formed byfirst making a fold in the wire-cloth, inserting a strip of tin therein,then covering the fold and strip of tin within it by aninverted-V-shaped piece of tin, which, to complete the work, is securelycompressed thereon.

I will now describe more clearly the operation of the machine.

The shaft X is rotated, and the auriferous material in a granulatedcondition is put into hopper O, and passes onto screen P and slides downthereon. The liner portion, falling through the screen, is received byfeedbox R, and the coarser portion passes oif at the end of said screen.Theend of pitman K, striking bumper Y, agitates the material on thescreen to produce this result. The

movement of the top leaf I of the bellows actuat-es the levers V and Uto open and close valve T, agitating and causing the auriferous materialto fall upon the apron F, when, becoming'subjected to the varying forceof the volume of air passing through the apron, it is buoyed up orsuspended and opened or partially separated to permit the particles ofgold commingled therewith to fall by their greater gravity upon theapron,'where they are retained by the rifiies thereon, while theremaining lighter portion of the materials will be carried by thecontinuous volume of air in an undulating sheet to the opening an anddischarged. \Vhen the pitman K reaches and passes the dead-center of itsrotation, the blast from the lower bellows ceases and that from theupper bellows begins, permitting, however, a slight intermission betweenthe blasts, during which intermission the compressed air within thechest continues to exert its power, forcing the volume through the apronF, and thus the vibratory motion ,of the material suspended above theapron is pro- I duced.

It will be understood from the foregoing description of the organization,of the machine that the condensation and pressure of the air in thechest F is constantly maintained with varying degree by the use of thevalves between the air-chest and the bellows, which valves cannot beraised against the expansive power of the compressed air within thechest until the bellows have become partially closed, whereby the aircontained therein has also become condensed sufficiently to exert thenecessary force against the valves to raise them. 7

Havingdescribed myinventiomlclaim and desire to secure by LettersPatent- 1. The feed-box R and valve T, in' combination with levers U andV, rack-bar W, and movable leaf I of bellows B, as described.

2. The improved apron for gold-separators, comprising the frame, therifiles a a a a', bent into the form of an inverted trough, the wire-cloth N, fastened to the frame and pressed into the said riflies, thestrips of tin e, enter-' ing the said riflies and fastening thewirecloth therein, the ribs (1 d, notched on the under side, saidnotches fitting over the said riftles and holding them in place, and themuslin or canvas strip m, fastened to the bottom of the frame,substantially as described.

3. The combination of the feed-boxR, valve T, provided with the levers Uand V, bellows B B, valves H H, air-chest E, and apron F.

JAMES B. FREEMAN.

Witnesses:

Ms. B. TOWNSEND, LoU STERNS.

